The Present's Past
by AuroranHellcat
Summary: It is now 30 years later. Events have gone quite different from the events Back To the Future predicted, but Doc Brown's Research is still out there, waiting to be found by a new generation of Time Travelers.
1. Prologue

_To Whomever finds this information,_

 _First, I congratulate you for finding my research. I knew eventually it would be found. Hopefully it is long obsolete and destined for museums in rare documents._

 _I apologize I don't have time to answer all of your questions, but suffice it to say, you have stumbled upon my research into time travel. Yes, it is real and it is possible. In fact, by the time Marty and I destroyed my original machine, it had become almost routine. However, after returning to my time for the last time, I could not bear to destroy my research and schematics on the subject. It is the curse of being a scientist my friends._

 _Inside the manila envelope you found attached to this letter is the complete schematics for my flux capacitor and all associated wiring required to make time jumps. I warn you though, the precise mathematics of finding the correct speed for time travel requires a doctorate in mathematics or similar. If you do not, I recommend putting this research right back where you found it._

 _I also have a grave reminder for you. Time travel is dangerous and can have many effects that are often not obvious at first and can be terribly difficult to repair. (see my time logs) Please, I beg of you, please, do not use this to create a time machine for selfish reasons. Only use it if the timeline has been compromised already._

 _I'm afraid my time has run out. Good bye and God Speed my friend._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Emmet Brown, PhD…_

"Hey Mark," Alex Fontaine yelled from across the building. "Look what I've found!"

Mark came running over and began reading over the documents, his jaw slowly moving towards the floor.


	2. Chapter 1: Assemble the Team

The Present's Past Chapter One

"Come on man." Mark responded flatly. "We've been searching this warehouse for hours. I doubt you've found anything worth having."

Alex glared at his friend harshly. Normally this would have had some weight considering they were the same height and the same age at 18, but not today. "I'm telling you Speedy. This is something big in this folder. Just read it."

Reluctantly, Mark took the folder and carefully opened its fragile bindings. His eyes widened as he read the letter slowly. English was still Mark Gonzalez's second language and he still had trouble. Alex waited patiently and smiled slightly as his best friends mouth slowly began to hang loose as he read over the plans and schematics.

When Mark finally did reach the end, Alex nudged him in the ribs and said, "What did I tell you Speedy? Cool right?"

"Completely." Mark replied. He handed the envelope back to Alex and stood. "Sabes que? We should show the others this. I bet they would love this."

"I was thinking the same thing." Alex shot back. "I'll race you back to my place. Call up the crew."

"Roger that good buddy."

Alex soon realized that this race would not be in his favor. It was not that his '66 GTO couldn't beat Mark's 300, but there was a slight problem. At the first turn, Alex discovered that his steering wheel was sticking.

 _Damn!_ He thought _. The Gearbox must be acting up again._ He knew he'd regret it later, but it was entirely possible if he did push the old girl, she might just kill her. So he took it slow.

The inner city slowly dwindled away and was replaced by smooth roads and open fields. This was perfect cruising terrain for Alex. He had brought many a girlfriend out on this very road to play his best dating game and sometimes it paid off. Other times it didn't. Alex Fontaine didn't sweat it much though. He was always looking for that next great adventure in life.

Alex's neighborhood slowly came into view after a time. It was a relatively new development of houses that stood up as freshly painted Suburbia in the middle of corn fields. Alex had heard that the city wanted to link up with this neighborhood but financial problems downtown had prevented it. That kind of isolation suited Alex and his family.

As he pulled into the driveway, Alex quickly noted that Mark had been true to his nickname. Not only was he already in the driveway and chatting with Alex's mother-that irked Alex slightly-he had also assembled the "crew".

Leaning up against her MKZ was Francesca "Fast Talking Fran" Polocek. Slightly pale, on the taller side, and slightly light hair and blue eyes, she was the typical Polish girl. Fran's family had emigrated from Poland when she was really young and had made a decent living. Mark and Fran had been apartment neighbors as they grew up and as they got older. Alex slowly came to be her friend too and the three made a formidable team on the baseball field.

Already under the hood of his Impala was the only other guy of the quintet of friends: Oliver "Olivander" Gelding. Also the son of immigrants, but from the United Kingdom, Oliver had embraced America for all it's good and ills very early on. Alex and him had roomed together during summer camp as middle schoolers and had become fast friends. Oliver was also by far the best mechanic of the lot. Alex chuckled as the memory of how he got his nickname returned again.

Shyly sitting on the edge of her Vantage was the newest member of the "crew". Aneesa "Big Money" Salib was the daughter of a third generation immigrated family from Arabia. Apparently her family had been old money back in the middle east and her father and grandfather had continued the family fortune in America. Only last year had she moved with her family to Alex's cul-de-sac and the two had started up a friendship. Aneesa continued to wear the traditional garb of her family, but most days she revealed her entire face, which was quite a lovely one if Alex was honest with himself.

All of them were chatting amongst themselves as Alex clicked his door shut behind him. They were talking car trash. That was the one thing that united them all; cars and what to do with them.

"I'm telling you Fran," Oliver blurted out. "If it's not the transmission this time, it's the driveshaft."

"You picked a Chevy. That's why." Fran said quickly. Her nickname really was deserved. The words came out in a spume that if you didn't pay attention, you would certainly miss them. Oliver and Fran continued to go back and forth until Alex had come into both of their line of sight. Smiles slowly faded to straight lines as they waited for him to speak.

Unsure of what to do next, Alex simply said, "To the basement everyone."


	3. Chapter 2: Good News?

Alex quickly led the others down to the basement. The escort was hardly needed though. Most of them had spent many a good times in the spacious room.

The basement of Alex's house was not only spacious, it was well-furnished as well. It was one reason that "Olivander's" place wasn't the usual hangout, even though he was the best out of all of them of getting greasy. His basement was more of a storage room for his parts more than anything else. Alex's basement however was the exact opposite: bright lighting, soft carpeting, comfortable chairs and sofa, a bar his dad built several years back, and a large TV in the corner with all the video gaming devices to practice racing with.

While Alex tried to gather his thoughts, everyone made themselves comfortable. He noted that Mark was perched on the edge of his chair, obviously eager for Alex to get on with it. The only other of note was Aneesa who sat demurely in her chair with her hands crossed in her lap. She really had a personality change when she was behind the wheel. This was her eighty-five percent of the time.

Fran didn't give Alex long to think though. "This better be good Alex. My dad still needs my help back on the job." Francesca often did work with her father on the job as he had gotten older and Alex did feel a small pang of guilt over that. So he began.

"All right guys. Mark and I were at an old warehouse earlier," Heads nodded as they comprehended the 'dumpster diving' Mark and Alex had essentially been doing. "And I stumbled on this old filing cabinet, figured it wouldn't have anything in it. Well that was almost true. It did have one file in it, a big one." Alex pulled it out from under his arm and handed it to Fran first. "This is what pulled you away Fran. What do you say to that?"

Fran didn't say anything at first, which was rare for her. Slowly, her slender shoulders slumped in slight embarrassment at her slight earlier and then passed it to the others as she said, "Yea this is pretty cool, Alex. But who's this Emmet Brown guy?"

Mark piped up, "I think I heard about him. I think he was some wacko scientist. _Muy inteligente, aunque._ But it was 30 years ago or something."

"And more importantly mate," Oliver went on. "What are we supposed to do with them? I'm a mechanic, not Merlin, for Christ's sake. This is beyond me." Alex noticed that good ol' 'Olivander' was also missing most of his usual bravado in that statement. This must have really been beyond him.

As the papers rounded to Aneesa, she spent a good deal of time silent flipping through the pages. She seemed really intent on something, but as of the moment, Alex couldn't guess what it was. As she continued to study, the conversation quickly turned away from the papers. Fran was talking about the latest leather job she had done on her car; custom leather was a hobby of hers and Oliver was firing back with speculation on the problems with his Impala. Considering how hard Oliver drove the thing, Alex was amazed that it didn't just fall off its wheels, no matter how new it was. Mark had turned and was watching TV.

After a while, Aneesa disappeared upstairs. She had pulled her phone out of her bag, so Alex guessed she was going to make a call. _She's always so secretive._ He thought, briefly. It was impossible to guess whether she really was or it was just her demeanor. It wasn't until an hour later that she almost magically appeared at the bottom of the stairs again, and she was positively radiant. Alex knew that that smile meant that she had something important to say so he quickly swatted Mark on the head to pay attention. Everyone else followed suit. "Go ahead 'big money'", Alex said.

"Well," Aneesa said quietly. "I just called my father. He wants to see these plans. I heard words farther away that said something about 'creation of a new asset'". For the first time in a while, Aneesa absolutely lit up. "Get dressed well everyone. My father will expect nothing less from people I call my friends."


End file.
